Chevron butterflyfish
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Chaetodon trifasciatus (Melon Butterflyfish). See also Chaetodon tricinctus (Three-striped Butterflyfish) and Three-banded Butterflyfish.
Chaetodon trifascialis is known as the Chevron Butterflyfish, Triangulate Butterflyfish or V-lined Butterflyfish. It is a species
of butterflyfish
(family
Chaetodontidae) found in the Indo-Pacific
from the Red Sea
and East Africa
to the Hawaii
an and Society Islands
.
Adults have an elongate white body with narrow chevron markings and may be up to 18 cm (7 in) in length. Juveniles have a mostly yellow tail and a broad black band extending from the rear of the dorsal fin to the rear of the anal fin. The tail pattern and the coloring of the posterior part of body changes dramatically with growth, with the tail entirely black with a thin yellow outline and the hind part of the body not differing in color from the areas further forward in adults.Juvenile of Chevron butterflyfish
This peculiar species, with its peculiar age-dependent color and elongated outline, has been placed in a monotypic
subgenus
Megaprotodon. Its closest living relatives seem to be the species of the subgenera Discochaetodon (e.g. Eight-banded Butterflyfish, C. octofasciatus) and Tetrachaetodon (e.g. Mirror Butterflyfish
, C. speculum). These, and perhaps other subgenera, would use Megaprotodon as genus name if Chaetodon
is split up.
Chaetodon trifascialis is a territorial
species which occurs in semi-protected seaward and shallow lagoon
reef
s, closely associated with tabular and staghorn (Acropora
) coral
s, the polyp
s and mucus of which they eat. They occur at depths ranging from 2-30 m. Adults are either seen to swim alone or (particularly in the breeding season) in pairs, while juveniles are secretive among coral branches. They are oviparous.
- For the Philippines Chevron Butterflyfish, see Chaetodon xanthurus. "Triangulate butterflyfish" redirects here; for the triangular butterflyfishes, see C. baronessa and C. triangulum.
Chaetodon trifascialis is known as the Chevron Butterflyfish, Triangulate Butterflyfish or V-lined Butterflyfish. It is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of butterflyfish
Butterflyfish
The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are approximately 120 species in 10 genera...
(family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Chaetodontidae) found in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
from the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
to the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an and Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
.
Adults have an elongate white body with narrow chevron markings and may be up to 18 cm (7 in) in length. Juveniles have a mostly yellow tail and a broad black band extending from the rear of the dorsal fin to the rear of the anal fin. The tail pattern and the coloring of the posterior part of body changes dramatically with growth, with the tail entirely black with a thin yellow outline and the hind part of the body not differing in color from the areas further forward in adults.Juvenile of Chevron butterflyfish
This peculiar species, with its peculiar age-dependent color and elongated outline, has been placed in a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Megaprotodon. Its closest living relatives seem to be the species of the subgenera Discochaetodon (e.g. Eight-banded Butterflyfish, C. octofasciatus) and Tetrachaetodon (e.g. Mirror Butterflyfish
Mirror butterflyfish
The Mirror Butterflyfish, Chaetodon speculum, is a species of butterflyfish . It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans from Indonesia to Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef and Papua New Guinea. The species has also been reported from Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion.It grows to a...
, C. speculum). These, and perhaps other subgenera, would use Megaprotodon as genus name if Chaetodon
Chaetodon
Chaetodon is a tropical fish genus in the family Chaetodontidae. Like their relatives, they are known as "butterflyfish". This genus is by far the largest among the Chaetodontidae, with about 90 living species included here, though most might warrant recognition as distinct genera.Several subgenera...
is split up.
Chaetodon trifascialis is a territorial
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
species which occurs in semi-protected seaward and shallow lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s, closely associated with tabular and staghorn (Acropora
Acropora
Acropora is a genus of scleractinian coral in the Phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. There are currently 149 described species...
) coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s, the polyp
Polyp
A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
s and mucus of which they eat. They occur at depths ranging from 2-30 m. Adults are either seen to swim alone or (particularly in the breeding season) in pairs, while juveniles are secretive among coral branches. They are oviparous.